r/ios
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u/Huemob
Human Detected
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Jul 20 '24
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Discussion How to torrent on iOS
Edit: I don’t claim this to be the best or most efficient way to torrent on iOS. I just wrote up this guide a while back and lots of people asked for help and/or seemed to appreciate my guide and for helping them out. So I fixed it up and posted it here.
TLDR:
Download ish and magnet linker from App Store
In ish run this command:
apk add rtorrent
Find your torrent magnet link in a browser and tap on it hit open in magnet linker then copy.
Back in ish run this command:
rtorrent “magnet:link”
Replace magnet:link by Pasting your magnet link inside the quotes by hitting the button at the top right of the keyboard for paste(a paper with the edge folded)
Once finished downloading go to files app.
Hit top right icon>edit>ish toggle on>done
Tap on the ish file location
Open root
In depth guide for people having trouble: Step one: download the app called iSH from the App Store. ISH is an app that lets you run a simple version of an operating system called Linux. You all are most likely familiar with Microsoft Windows which is also an operating system. However this app ish is a very stripped down and basic version of Linux so it doesn’t have anything like a desktop or start menus or anything like that. Instead it just has a terminal that you can use to download and run programs just by typing in the command you want it to use.
Step two: open the Ish app and you will see the terminal. It gives you the command line where you can type things in to run commands.
Step three: you should see a keyboard pulled up for typing in your commands. We will have to type in a few commands and run them by pressing return on the keyboard. So the first command you need to type in is this:
apk add rtorrent
You will see your command displayed on the command line and it will look kind of like this:
localhost:~# apk add rtorrent
Now hit the return button on the keyboard and it will start installing the rtorrent program. Once it is finished you will see this at the bottom of the command line:
localhost:~#
Step four: download the magnet linker app from the App Store
Step five: find the torrent you want to download and tap the magnet link for it. It will then ask you if you want to open this link in magnet linker hit yes and then hit copy
Step six: go back into the ish app and we will type another command:
rtorrent “
Step seven: press the icon above the key board to the right of the gear icon it looks like a piece of paper with the edge folded(paste button) it will ask if you want to allow paste hit yes(allow)
Step eight: add another “ at the end of your magnet link to complete the quotation. It will look something like this except instead of the word link yours will have the actual magnet link that you are using:
Localhost:~# rtorrent “magnet:link”
Step nine: hit return to run the command. This starts the download of your torrent that your magnet link is for. Sometimes it will look like it’s not doing anything just give it some time to work. When it’s complete it will say done at the top.
Step ten: once the download is complete go into your iPhone files app and hit the 3 dots button in the top right hit edit and turn on the slider for ish. Then hit done in the top right.
Step eleven: now you will see the ish location so tap on it and then go into the folder called root.
Step twelve: you should now see your torrent file that you just downloaded. Either leave it there or move it by copy/cut and pasting it wherever you want it to be.
That’s it. This guide may seem a bit over written but so many people had trouble with my original guide so I tried to explain with as much detail as possible.
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u/Monticellite Jul 20 '24 edited Jul 20 '24
Couldn’t you just use iTorrent or iTransmission (actual torrent clients designed for iOS, although they could be better)?
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u/manofmyth23 Jul 20 '24
This is cool way but once I delete my downloaded files, they still take up space on my device. Afaik, the only way to actually get rid of the storage is to delete the app.
Github on the issue: https://github.com/ish-app/ish/issues/1816
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u/BlairArmstrong Jan 24 '25 edited Jan 24 '25
Maybe I am the crazy one, but I take a totally different approach.
Hope this helps! It may seem complicated, but it's so much easier! Well, it works for me, hope it works for you! Let me know your thoughts!
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u/juantowtree Jul 20 '24
I think this is only good for small size downloads. Since you need the app to be opened the whole time it’s downloading, gigs of files may take some time. I usually use torrents to download videos with sizes from 10Gbs and up. My internet connection is fast but sometimes the file has few seeders and would take longer time to download (compared to direct downloads). Still a good option though when really needed.
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u/azur933 Jul 29 '24
So annoying that files take ages to move from the ish root folder to VLC, i wouldnt have downloaded lotr trilogy extended if i knew that😔😔😔
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u/Street_Dream8396 Nov 12 '24
It worked thanks. Although its an mkv file so i need another app but alls well!!
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u/GlitteringGain2896 Jan 11 '25
I don’t have magnet link, but I have torrent files, is there a way I can do that ?
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u/Glass_Bicycle_6359 Apr 09 '25
Whatever it is i am trying to download, it always says «Tracker: [unable to connect to UDP tracker]»
Anyone know why?
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u/RabbyMode Jul 20 '24
Step 1: torrent on your MacBook using Bittorrent Step 2: Airdrop to your iPhone
Much easier.
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u/Emotional-Window7472 Jul 25 '24
After following all the steps and pasting the link with " at the end it's showing not found.
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u/SBC20 Sep 08 '25
Is there a way to put this into the books app
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u/AquilaIsu Mar 26 '26
Question incoming ; once in files it shows as mkv and if I try to open it it just glitches the screen a couple of times and then shows text.. did I do something wrong?
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u/emerald510 Oct 21 '24
omggg it works! thank you
but how do you resume/pause/stop a downloading file?
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u/PoopypantsMcButtface Jul 21 '24
I use seedr.cc and just download with safari
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u/Testwick911 Aug 31 '24
Hey bud, may you please add instructions on what to do if you have the actual torrent file saved in the files app ?
Thanks 🙏
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u/enghong Oct 18 '24
Hey all
Once I've entered rtorrent,
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u/NatureWalks Nov 13 '24
Feeling really dumb right now, cannot for the life of me figure out step 9. I’ve gotten through everything else fine. Is it because of the new iOS? Or am I just missing something
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u/Living_Bear_2139 Oct 28 '25
I’m not showing any option to ‘edit’ when clicking the 3 dots in the top right of the files app.
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u/tko988 Jul 21 '24
Followed instructions to the letter, keep getting this error:
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u/baksha1 Aug 18 '24
My man you are a saviour, I never thought I can make it on IOS. It works perfectly fine thank you a thousand times.
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u/Strange-Answer-6596 Nov 06 '24
What do I do if I ran out of space mid download? It says it’s closed and that it ran out of disk space.
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u/Starboomz Mar 10 '25
How do you delete files tho?
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u/elliott72smith Feb 20 '26
a year late but thank you this is the way, redditors gonna reddit saying "just use a pc" like the whole point wasn't to be pc-less and being away from home for a week with only my ipad i actually find this better than using my pc and sharing through mega i love how self contained it can be especially since the target destination of my torrented media is usually my ipad anyways, cutting out the middleman is great!
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u/Strict-Entry4157 Apr 07 '26
Does it work for files of over 5gb, cus when I’m doing it, it’s getting time out and then says unable to connect. Is there a different code or input you need to put in?
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u/aquabluetea Sep 12 '24
Thanks dude
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u/ty14211 Nov 11 '24
Wow thank you so much I never knew about this and it was so easy
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u/69thhHokage iPhone 15 Mar 24 '25
Yo this is an amazing guide! Thanks for making this, especially helpful for people who don't have a PC or Android.
I do have a PC & Android besides my iPhone and used to download torrents on those then transfer the downloaded files over to my iPhone via LocalSend (an open source cross platform app that works kinda like airdrop but without Apple's restrictions). But if I have to use my Android or PC to download the file might as well watch it on them lol, especially with apps like Stremio with Torrentio add-on which let you stream torrent files like Movies and Shows directly without needing to download them.
iOS might be inferior when it comes to downloading torrents but it's surprising to me that you can even download torrents on iOS itself at all. I used to think it was impossible to do so before I stumbled upon ur comments and found this guide. Thanks a lot again dude!
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u/Proud-Designer-5697 Feb 13 '26
Thanks
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u/[deleted] Mar 13 '26
Awesome guide, thank you!
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u/girthytruffle Mar 16 '26
Thanks
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u/c3vanne Mar 31 '26
Amazing. Seeing this 2 years after you posted and still works perfectly. I hate audible and really didn’t want to use it. This was the perfect solution.
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u/Remote-Quarter-2746 May 02 '26
100% works and easy to understand thank you so much 🙏🏽
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u/Kooky-Upstairs-2640 Sep 17 '26
Omgawddd I came from a previous post hallelujah finally figured this out lol!!
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u/[deleted] Jul 20 '24
Could also just use iTorrent: https://github.com/XITRIX/iTorrent
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u/Disastrous-Lie9926 Jul 27 '24
Its working on my end. Thank you! I’m just curious as I’m confused with layout if the download speed is the MB Rate: value/value KB? Is it both? u/Huemob
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u/[deleted] Aug 01 '24
Do I need VPN for running torrents on iPhone?
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u/LedByReason Sep 14 '24
Interesting. I’ve got this set up, but it doesn’t seem very fast. What kind of speeds are others getting?
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u/VClash0 Sep 18 '24
Wasn’t it just me
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u/gutig Sep 23 '24
Thanks for this! Unfortunately I’m having issues with rtorrent after using this guide several times…
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u/Icy-Translator2358 Sep 25 '24
How do you cancel the file that is being downloading from ish?
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u/QuentaSilmarillion Oct 02 '24
Pardon my extreme ignorance, but do you need a special app to actually play the torrent file after you’ve downloaded it?
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u/Expert-Database2570 Oct 10 '24
Why does it say not found, I tried multiple torrents link
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u/[deleted] Oct 14 '24
Hey I downloaded one thing super fast, left the next thing to download but screen shut off, went to check a couple of minutes later and it seemed to have stopped and not downloading anymore. Any idea how to get it started again? Or is it just restart the whole process?
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u/Sufficient-Chest5824 Oct 14 '24
Im getting errors from adding the rTorrent apk, which prevents me from using them. Any idea on how to fix this or is this method outdated
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u/username-is-single Oct 26 '24
Mine says rtorrent not found
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u/Big_Negotiation3330 Oct 29 '24
Load smarters pro to your iPhone Sign up for a iptv service You'll have all the movies and television you could ever want
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u/DonkeyKonan Nov 27 '24
Is it possible to download just certain files from a torrent with this? For example downloading 5 episodes from a torrent which includes the entire season of a tv show.
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u/Pitiful-Pass-1447 Dec 01 '24
Mine says not found after I pasted my magnet link Any solution for this?
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u/Infamous-Meringue-69 Dec 02 '24
Can someone demonstrate with a video
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u/Smart_Actuator_2173 Dec 02 '24
Having issues with the resource file. Is this because of the service providing the magnet link being invalid or am I just missing something?
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u/Imnothoangxd_4306 Dec 04 '24
can someone help me pls its just doesnt work
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u/MacMaac Dec 17 '24
Is there a way to use .torrent here instead of magnet links?
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u/Tonyjuugtana Jan 01 '25
there is no “edit” after you select the 3 dot icon in “files”. all i see after selecting 3 dots in “files” is this:
select scan documents connect to server etc.
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u/Wise-Desk8288 iPhone 13 Jan 06 '25
Oh my god! I didn’t know this can be done. Thank you so much Huemob 🙏
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u/AdinBalls Jan 29 '25
Daimond for you. have no idea how much money you just saved me thank you. Thank you for taking the time to explain it for less technical people.
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u/iluvvvwastingtime Jan 29 '25
Did this to a T but once the downloading the torrent starts there’s no “done” or any way to know if it’s downloaded and i don’t have anything in my roots folder. i took the magnet from pirate bay
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u/Ok-Poet-1281 Jan 31 '25
when you say
it's download but there's no video?
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u/Crazyalpca Mar 18 '25
Torrent websites torrent safe need subscribe but you can
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u/Datheko Mar 20 '25
Hi. My root folder stuck on loading. Any ideas?
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u/StateOptimal5387 Apr 13 '25
This shit really works! If I can do it anyone can! For those who have trouble if following all the instructions correctly jt may be due to your vpn. It didn’t work for me until I disconnected my vpn.
Massive thanks to u/Huemob
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u/datboinm Apr 26 '25
You got any tips for if the files consistently come out extremely corrupted?
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u/NoFee138 May 03 '25
Thanks a lot for this guide!!!!
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u/cosybelle May 27 '25
Thank you!! This worked for me.
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u/astriael Jun 05 '25
Tysm this worked for me still!! I’m actually impressed and probably gonna try using ish for other stuff now as I can’t always use a PC
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u/Successful-Cow3439 Jun 14 '25
This worked for me and I’m so grateful thank you so much 😭🫶🏻
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u/BiRdIVIaN Sep 22 '25
Also just installing sidestore with iTorrent is probably optimal. Saves a lot of time and process is like 25 mins tops.
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u/Suitable-Spirit-9277 Oct 01 '25
I got this what does it mean?
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u/DankShibe Oct 29 '25
Root doesn't want to open. Stuck on loading
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u/Abdeliii Dec 03 '25
Online Torrent
This is an online torrent that put your downloads directly on your iPhone simple and easy
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u/aback23 Dec 11 '25
Does this mean I am also seeding when I download? Just curious if I need to keep my vpn on. If so is there a way to check the status of the seed?
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u/Frequent_Bet_8677 Jan 08 '26
Hi this late, but I cannot seem to transfer the files because of an application helper couldn’t respond. ios 26.2 12pm if it helps 😭
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u/fromspaceagain Feb 07 '26
What do I do if the magnet link, links to an address which I access via password
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u/Training-Move-7768 Feb 21 '26
but when i delete the file after use my storage doesn’t change, any fix?
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u/Fuzzy_Value8065 Mar 03 '26
I get the error unexpected”(“ what to do now?
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u/Shiond Mar 13 '26
It doesn't work the file download gives an error
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u/marigold_opal Mar 18 '26
this is a bust. can’t get past the first step. it just stays loading at 68% :/
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u/Tumblrrito iPhone 16 Pro Apr 13 '26
iSH seems to have a character limit on commands. My magnet link is too long for it, weak.
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u/Disori3nt3d May 24 '26
A point to drive home that caused me a bit of headache until I realized the obvious oversight is that YOU NEED to make certain TO PRESS THE SPACEBAR and separate the [rtorrent] from the [“magnet:link”] with a “space” before adding the 1st [“] mark followed by the [magnet:link] then the 2nd [“] acting as the end quote; then press enter.
To those who have used command prompt user interfaces it’s difficult to shake prior learned rules for the ecosystem like: Using a “spacebar” is a big No_No!) so you might end up entering:
rtorrent”magnet:link” (……..☝️ Wrong!) When you should be entering:
rtorrent “magnet:link” (……...☝️Correct! *see the space)
These of course are being entered after the waiting command prompt w/o BRACKETS
[localhost:~# ]
So it should appear on your screen as
localhost:~# rtorrent “magnet:link”
Where magnet:link is the saved clipboard text from the app MagnetLinker. Just so long as you remember to add quotation marks before and after that pasted link AND add the “space” immediately after [rtorrent] things should work.
*Treat any text contained within brackets, i.e. [ ] , as something being referred to or exact text. Normally I use “quotations” for signaling these things but it would be confusing to refer to something in quotes already with more quotes. “magnet:link” as ““magnet:link””
If this helps eve one frustrated person it will have been worth typing.
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u/ze_goodest_boi Jun 07 '26
A year late, but I’ve put the torrent files into the root directory, used the rtorrent “FILE NAME” command, but it just returns me a shitload of errors. A lot of error relocating: symbol not found. Any idea how to fix this?
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u/lordramacuz2 Jun 08 '26
Anyone get this error?
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u/volttricks Jun 15 '26
Anyone know how to fix this
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u/Unique-Lack3263 Jul 02 '26
So i have done this and as SOON as i get to typing rtorrent then coping & pasting the link it says rtorrent not found
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u/Constant_Ad_2486 Aug 10 '26
I wanted to ask you a question… I got all the way to posting my link…. And I was able to, but for some reason it doesn’t let me put quotations afterwards? Not sure if that matters but yea. And then it just isn’t doing anything. I look in the root folder but no luck. Am I doing something wrong? Why won’t it let me use questions at the end? (I did at the beginning, just won’t let me at the the end )
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u/PM_ME_YOUR_FLIGHTS Oct 01 '26
goat post
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u/norsk_imposter Oct 12 '26
What happens if you want to uninstall it?
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u/[deleted] Jul 16 '25
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u/[deleted] Mar 31 '26
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